Most of us are not farmers. We don’t know anything about tending animals, plowing fields, or cultivating crops. We don’t raise or grow our food, we buy it. And most of the time we don’t even think about where it came from or all the hard work that went in to getting it on to our plates. Urban and suburban life, the life of the consumer rather than the producer, is a relatively new phenomenon. In ancient times, almost everyone was a producer of food in some capacity. This is why so many of the stories, laws, and parables of the Bible are rooted in agrarian images.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.

The idea of “firstfruits” is one of the most important concepts in Scripture. The firstfruit is the first portion of the harvest, or the best part of the animal, and it is supposed to be offered to God. Whether it’s the fatty part of the calf or the first bottle of wine, the first and finest portion belongs to the Lord. In reality, everything belongs to the Lord. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” (Psalm 24:1) So the offering of the firstfruit is a way of acknowledging God’s gracious provision to us. In a sense, we say to him, “Everything belongs to you, but in your kindness you have only asked for the first part, which I now gladly give back to you.”

Time belongs to the Lord, as well. Every new day is his, a gracious gift offered to us with each new dawn. It is important to give God the firstfruits of your time, as well as your treasure. Morning Devotions are meant to be a way to offer God the first portion of your day, which is just as much an act of faith as giving him the first part of a harvest or a tithe of your income. Our time is precious. We are all busy people. Well, if we’re being honest with ourselves, we’re probably a lot more distracted than we are busy. Morning Devotions are a way to help us organize our time. Offering God the first 15, 30, or even 60 minutes of your day helps everything else fall into place under him, our ultimate priority.

Morning Devotions are hard, but they don’t have to be. Many of us are already participating in a morning devotion, just to our phones and not to God. Trust me, I’m not condemning. I’m commiserating. It is so tempting to grab that phone and scroll while laying in bed. But God has so much more to offer you than your phone does. The folly of social media leads to despair, but the wisdom of Scripture is a pathway to life. Prayers are far more effective than posts. Early morning solitude renews and repairs your mind. So much is made these days of self-care. Why not let God care for you every morning?

Why not let God care for you every morning?

Morning Devotions can take many forms, and it will take some trial and error to figure out what works best for you. Here are some things that I’ve found very helpful for me. First, I don’t get on my phone until I’ve read my Bible and prayed. (Again, I’m not perfect at this, but it’s a good rule to live by.) Second, I journal both my Bible study and my prayers. What works best for me is to do these in different colored inks: blue is for Bible study, black is for prayer. I also include sermon notes (red), book notes (purple), and writing outlines (green) in my journals. Third, I don’t let yesterday’s failure derail today’s growth. You’re going to miss days. No one is perfect. But if you stick with it, you’ll find that you’ll grow in both consistency and depth.

The Morning Devotions videos from Verace Via are meant to be helps. They are not meant to replace your own devotions, but to serve as a supplement or a guide. If you find them helpful, use them. If you don’t, ignore them. If you would like to create Morning Devotions videos for this site, please see this page for instructions.

Morning Devotions